I recently finished our annual test of new crossbows, and although it was a tight race, the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 ultimately came out on top. This is TenPoint’s newest flagship model, featuring Zero Torsion technology, a rail-less barrel/arrow rest system, Acu-X arrows with snap-on nocks, a TriggerTech trigger, and the Acuslide Maxx cocking system. It is, in my opinion—after testing it head-to-head against this year’s competition—the best crossbow you can buy in 2026. Below is my full review of the TX Ultra 29.5 crossbow.

First, How We Test Crossbows

Our test is an invitational, where all major brands are invited to submit the new model of their choice. Sometimes manufacturers reach out to us in the off-season for early testing, and that was the case with the TX Ultra 29.5 this year, as I got my hands on a pre-production sample in late December of 2025. It just so happened that I had a guest coming in to do some late-season hunting with me, and I had a big buck on camera to boot. We pulled this crossbow out of the case, dialed it in from 20 to 50 yards, and then checked it with 4-blade TenPoint Nemesis mechanical broadheads.

My client sat in a ground blind for the better part of two frigid days, and the buck strolled in early on the second afternoon. He took a hard quartering-to shot at 30 yards, and the arrow buried in between the base of the buck’s neck and shoulder blade. The deer went just 50 yards before collapsing, proving indeed that the new crossbow works.  

Shooting a big buck is great, but any modern crossbow could’ve handled that situation. The TX Ultra 29.5 really shined once I put it through its paces in our annual head-to-head test crossbow test. As always, the crossbows were tested using the manufacturer-provided accessories (scope, arrows, etc). After weighing the arrows, I measured speed and energy using a Garmin Xero chronograph. Then I sighted the bows in and tested field-point accuracy at 50 yards. Group sizes listed below represent the average of five, three-arrow groups. In addition, I evaluated broadhead flight at 30 yards with both fixed and mechanical broadheads (100-grain Muzzy Ones and Slick Trick Raptor Tricks this year).

I don’t measure broadhead group sizes but instead evaluated consistency of flight and measured how far off from the field-point zero the broadheads landed on target. Although I personally prefer fixed-blade broadheads, mechanicals do consistently shoot better from many crossbows in my experience. 

I measured trigger-pull weights with a Lyman trigger scale and evaluated trigger quality subjectively. I used the same scale to weigh each crossbow, with its respective scope and accessories attached. I did all my accuracy testing from a seated position with a BOG DeathGrip tripod. During the testing, I also evaluated the quality of the accessories, fit and finish, handling, and cocking effort.

Related: Ravin R10X Pro Crossbow Review—Expert Tested

Quick Overview

Specs

• Weight: 10 pounds, 11 oz (rigged out with accessories)
• Trigger Pull: 2 lb, 8 oz
• Speed: 445 fps
• Kinetic Energy: 195.6 foot-pounds (with 440-grain arrow)
• Average 50-Yard Group: 1.125 inches
• Retail Price: Starts at $2,649.99.

Tenpoint TX Ultra 29.5 Test Results

Fit and Finish: Flawless, as expected. In my experience, TenPoint’s flagship compound crossbows are consistently the highest quality bows money can buy. They come with a limited lifetime warranty and are made in the U.S., which is a huge selling point. Several of the newer bows, including this one, seem to be almost overbuilt, with rigid features including a twin riser to support the bow’s limbs, and a full-length, fully supported optics rail that creates a solid scope-mounting platform.

Balance and Handling: Even compact crossbows are typically bulky to carry in the woods, but this was a strong suit of this particular model. It is short and compact (just 6.5 inches wide when cocked) while being extremely well-balanced and comfortable to shoot. I love the soft-touch stock and large, positive AR-style safety. It’s a bit heavy at 10 pounds, 11 ounces, but overall it’s one of the best-handling crossbows I’ve ever tried.

Cocking System: The patented AcuSlide Maxx system is the best system going for cocking high-performance crossbows, in my opinion. It is an improvement on the ratchet-style system originally used on Ravin crossbows. It’s silent, and the cocking stroke can be stopped at any point without the cocking handle spinning out of control. Decocking the bow is almost as easy.

Speed and Power: At 445 feet per second with a 440-grain arrow, this crossbow produces a crushing 195.6 foot-pounds of kinetic energy. It was the fastest, hardest-hitting crossbow I tested this year.

Field-Point Accuracy: I averaged 1.125-inch 50-yard groups with this bow and factory accessories, making it one of the most accurate crossbows I’ve ever tested.

Broadhead Performance: If this crossbow had a stumble, it was that fixed-blade broadheads hit about 3 inches off from the field points at 30 yards. Iffy broadhead flight is something I’ve come to expect from high-speed crossbows, with 450 fps seeming to be the common threshold at which things can get a little crazy. Three inches off the mark isn’t a huge deal with a fixed blade, though, and it could be addressed with a scope adjustment, or perhaps by picking a different broadhead. Mechanicals hit exactly with the field points.  

Trigger: This bow had a flawless 2-pound, 8-ounce TriggerTech trigger that no doubt contributed to the outstanding accuracy.

Value: Can you find a cheaper crossbow that’ll get the job done. Of course. For example, the Wicked Ridge Commander 400—our choice for Best Value Crossbow of 2026—will do everything a serious whitetail hunter needs for about $600 out of the door. As a rule, top-end crossbows have become stupidly expensive. On the other hand, you can spend $5K on a new crossbow if you want. By that standard, the TX Ultra 29.5’s price tag is not at all out of line for what you get.

Related: How to Choose the Best 22 Pistol

Final Thoughts on the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5

Our annual crossbow test is designed to find the best high-performance crossbow money can buy. This year, that’s the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5. As many savvy financial planners will tell you in fake, AI-generated memes: You only live once. Might as well spring for the best crossbow.  

Why Trust Us

For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.

Editor’s Note: Will Brantley’s new book Skinning Catfish in Mary’s Kitchen | Tales of Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, and Life in the Woods is a throwback to classic outdoor storytelling that chronicles adventures ranging from gigging bullfrogs in a pond full of dog poo to wrestling catfish in southern Mississippi to hunting capybara with ball bearing buckshot in remote Argentina. The stories will make you laugh, cry, cringe … and hopefully, be inspired to spend a little more time in the woods. 

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